Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.175.22 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अवेक्षमाणास्त्वन्योन्यं सुसम्मूढा विचेतस: । नाशवनुवन्नवस्थातुं काल्यमाना महात्मना

Transliteration

avekṣamāṇās tv anyonyaṃ susammūḍhā vicetasaḥ | nāśakan uvann avasthātuṃ kālyamānā mahātmanā ||

Translation

เหล่านักรบปัญจาละมึนงงไร้สติปัญญา ต่างมองหน้ากันไปมา; ถูกมหาวีรบุรุษผู้นั้น (กรรณะ) กดดันและต้อนรุกไล่ จึงไม่อาจตั้งมั่นยืนหยัด ณ ที่ใดได้เลย

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Word by Word

• अवेक्षमाणाः: looking at
• अवेक्षमाणाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवेक्ष् (धातु) / अवेक्षमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: present (vartamāna), parasmaipada (active sense), plural, masculine, nominative

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अन्योन्यम्: each other, mutually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: adverbial (mutually)

• सुसम्मूढाः: utterly bewildered
• सुसम्मूढाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसम्मूढ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• विचेतसः: senseless, unconscious-minded
• विचेतसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतस्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आशन्: they were/they could (be)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: laṅ, imperfect (past), parasmaipada, 3rd, plural

• अनुवन्: they were able (to) / they managed (to) (uncertain form)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु (उपसर्ग) + वन्/वृ (धातु-सम्भाव्य पाठभेद)
• Form: laṅ (probable), imperfect (past), parasmaipada, 3rd, plural, पाठ/रूप अस्पष्ट; अर्थतः 'समर्था बभूवुः/अशक्नुवन्' इत्यर्थे

• अवस्थातुम्: to stand, to remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: infinitive (tumun)

• काल्यमानाः: being driven/impelled (uncertain root)
• काल्यमानाः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: काल्/कल् (धातु) / काल्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: present (vartamāna), passive (karmaṇi), plural, masculine, nominative, अर्थतः 'प्रेर्यमाणाः/आकृष्यमाणाः' इत्यादि; धातुपाठ-निश्चय कठिन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāñcāla warriors
• a great-souled hero (mahātmā; contextually a leading Kaurava warrior)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In war, fear and confusion can dissolve collective resolve; when discernment (cetas) is lost, even trained warriors fail to hold their ground. The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership and the destructive power of overwhelming force on human judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the Pāñcāla troops as mentally shaken and mutually searching each other’s faces, unable to stabilize their formation, because they are being relentlessly driven and pressured by a powerful opposing hero.